Many of us were woken up at 4:04 am by the sound of multiple helicopters. The noise lasted for a couple of hours. See the advisory sent out by PO Saponieri, Community Affairs, 110th Precinct below and link that was forwarded to us by a community resident. Also, FYI is an observation reported by an Elmhurst resident on Wednesday.

Early this morning10/31/2014 police responed to a disorderly group inside club Hive at 79-21 Queens Blvd. While inside police got a 911 call for shots fired at Barnwell ave and Queens blvd, police discoverd one female black 20 yrs old, one female black 21 yrs old and one male black 31 yrs old all shot and removed to Elmhurst hospital. The one female black 20 yrs old was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospitalthe other two victims are in serious but stable condition at this time. 110 pct detective squad is reviewing video in the area and is asking poeple with any infomation to please contact the office at718-476-9317.The event was a scheduled after party from a contcert that took place in the braclay center and was being policed. 1 Killed, 2 Hurt in Shooting Outside Queens Nightclub: NYPD

FYI - Observation by resident on WednesdayFor those of you who might have been in the area and witnessed this, be advised that we spoke with Community Affairs at the 110th Precinct to get further information. We were told there was no incident on record. Luckily no residents, children or parents from the nearby schools were around. Please be aware of your surroundings and if you see something, say something!!"Today around 4:40PM EST, I was standing in front of PanAm with my ice coffee when I saw a man running out of Pan Am and ran toward Nevada Diner. My 1st impression was that he was trying to catch a bus that was there.

10 seconds later three (!!) police cars showed up, a total of six officers got off their cars and took out their guns and ran towards Nevada Diner.

I ran back to my car to grab my camera, and was only able to take the pictures of the three patrol cars.

Stood there for well over 10 minutes, about a dozen people came out of Pan Am and walked towards the diner for a look. The police officers did not come back. Time was up for me to drive to PS290 so I left."

On Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at approximately 9:30 am in the morning in front of 57-13 69 Place in Maspeth, NY two males (known to each other) were involved in a verbal dispute over a parking space. The defendant Heriberto Zepata, 55 of Brooklyn, NY (who fled the location but, was later arrested by the 104 Detective Squad) displayed a knife and slashed the other male 55, across the head and left hand.The aided was transported to Elmhurst General Hospital where he received stitches to the head and hand for his injuries. Detective Thomas Bell104th Precinct Community Affairs64-02 Catalpa AvenueRidgewood, NY, 11385Phone (718)386-2431Fax (718)386-2662Thomas.Bell@nypd.org

Hi All,Captain Manson, 104th Precinct, called to let us know about the following crimes that occurred in Maspeth:

Saturday, 10/18 at 7:30 am - Attempted burglary via side window on 54#s/64th Street. Alarm went off and probably scared off perpetrator.

Wednesday, 10/22 -51#s on 69th Place, 3:30 pm. Male perpetrator rang bell and distracted homeowner while second perpetrator attempted to make entry through rear door. Homeowner realized what was going on and hit alarm.

Friday, 10/24 - 65 #s on Jay Avenue, burglary occurred between 7-11 am. Victim went to work found rear window open, $6,000 in jewelry missing, $1,000 cash and two bottles of whiskey stolen.

More than 12,500 Low-Income Homeowners to Receive Automatic Credit on their Next Water and Sewer BillNew York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Emily Lloyd today announced the launch of a new program to provide lower income homeowners in New York City with an automatic credit to their water bills. The Home Water Assistance Program, first introduced in May when the de Blasio Administration announced the lowest water rate increase in nearly a decade, will provide a credit of $115.89 to the water bills of more than 12,500 homeowners. DEP has partnered with the Human Resources Administration (HRA), which administers the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), to identify qualified one to four family homeowners that received a HEAP benefit during the 2013-2014 heating season. The credit will appear on the next water and sewer bill for qualified customers. The program follows an initiative to freeze the minimum charge for homeowners who use less than 100 gallons of water each day, which resulted in more than 25 percent of DEP customers, many of them senior citizens, receiving no increase in their water bills this year.

“The Home Water Assistance Program is another example of how DEP is following through on Mayor de Blasio’s promise to help low-income customers, while still keeping water and sewer rates affordable for all New Yorkers,” said DEP Commissioner Lloyd.

“The Human Resources Administration is committed to providing services that fight poverty and prevent homelessness. Partnering with DEP to launch the Home Water Assistance Program is one of the many ways that we are working to achieve these goals,” said HRA Commissioner Banks.

As part of DEP’s commitment to providing the highest quality service while ensuring effective and fair revenue collection, a number of initiatives have been implemented since 2011. These programs include the completion of a network of Automated Meter Reading devices that ensure water bills are based on actual consumption and that allow customers to access data about their water use in near real time, a leak detection system that has already saved customers more than $55 million, the Water Debt Assistance program which helps property owners at risk of foreclosure manage their water and sewer debt, and the replacement of thousands of large meters on industry-recommended cycles.Earlier this year, DEP also adopted a number of customer service improvements that were approved by the New York City Water Board in May. They include:

Freezing the minimum charge - DEP set the minimum charge for customers who use less than 100 gallons of water each day at last year’s rate. As a result, roughly 25 percent of single family homes—many of them owned by seniors—saw no water rate increase this year.

Expanding the leak forgiveness program - Through the Leak Notification Program DEP has saved customers more than $55 million in leak-related charges since 2011. Until recently, leaks on maintainable fixtures, such as toilets and faucets, were not included in DEP’s leak forgiveness program. To encourage a quick response to those leaks, DEP has extended partial forgiveness of leak-related charges to any customer who fixes a leak that resulted in a high bill within 120 days.

Extending the deadline for customers to file an appeal with the Water Board – Until recently, customers had 30 days to file an appeal with the Water Board. DEP has extended that deadline to 60 days.

Halting the lien sale process for customers with a pending appeal - DEP will exclude any customer from the lien sale list who has a pending appeal on the date the 90-day list is published. The change will ensure customers have a fair shot to appeal a bill they believe is unwarranted.

Suspending interest for customers with a “catch-up” bill after Automated Meter Reader (AMR) installation - DEP now grants customers who are issued a “catch-up” bill after the installation of AMR 90 days to pay their bill, interest free. The change will reduce unanticipated charges on customers’ bills.

Providing the highest quality service to its customers is one of the goals outlined in Strategy 2011-2014, a far-reaching strategic plan that lays out 100 distinct initiatives to make DEP the safest, most efficient, cost-effective, and transparent water utility in the nation.For more information, customers should visit nyc.gov/dep.DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with nearly $14 billion in investments planned over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. This capital program is responsible for critical projects like City Water Tunnel No. 3; the Staten Island Bluebelt program, an ecologically sound and cost-effective stormwater management system; the city’s Watershed Protection Program, which protects sensitive lands upstate near the city’s reservoirs in order to maintain their high water quality; and the installation of more than 820,000 Automated Meter Reading devices, which will allow customers to track their daily water use, more easily manage their accounts and be alerted to potential leaks on their properties. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/nycwater.

On Saturday, October 18, 2014 at approximately 11:50 am a Male/White, age 40's, heavy set, approx. height 5'7, white hair, black coat and sweatpants did enter the Amalgamated Bank which is located at 69-73 Grand Avenue Maspeth, NY and displayed a note announcing a Robbery (no weapons). The perpetrator fled on foot northbound on 69 Street towards 54 Avenue with an unknown amount of U.S. Currency. A canvass of the area yielded negative results for the perpetrator. Anyone with information is asked to call the 104 Precinct Detective Squad at 718-386-3004.

Captain Manson, 104th Precinct, called to alert us to two crimes in our area:

53rd Avenue/72nd Street - 10/15, Wednesday morning at 12:10 am a 25-year old Asian-Pacific male was approached by a youth who asked to borrow his cell phone. When the victim hesitated, the youth said if he didn't hand over the phone he would stab him. The perpetrator displayed a black & gray knife. He fled after taking $20 from the victim's pocket. The 104th Precinct responded and after a canvas arrested the perpetrator who was 15-years old and who had no prior arrests. The perpetrator, who is now in jail, lives in the confines of the 104th Precinct but is not from our area.

68th Street/53rd Drive - crime reported on 10/15 but occurred on 10/7 - unlocked vehicle broken into - two credit cards were removed from wallet left in glove compartment.

The following was sent to us by PO Jimenez, 104th Precinct Community Affairs. If you know anyone who lives or works in Ridgewood, please pass this along.

On Wednesday, 10/15/2014 at approximately 2:45 pm at Fairview Avenue & Himrod Street, 2 female students walking home from I.S. 93 (Forest Ave. & Putnam Ave) came upon an unknown male exposing himself. The male was described as a male , hispanic, 18yrs., 5' 9", 146 lbs., med skin tone with pimpled face. As the 2 females walked passed this individual he covered his genitles but then asked these 2 females for their names and age, the 2 females then continued to walk pass him and that was the extent of of the conversation and interaction between this unknown male and 2 females.

The 104th Pct wants anyone who may have been at that vicinity around the time of this incident who may have seen this individual or anyone else who has any information pertaining to this individual to please call the 104th Pct. Detective Squad at 718-386-2723, thank you.

Reps. Israel, Meng, McCarthy and Crowley Announce Quiet Skies Caucus to Combat Aircraft NoiseCongressional group will work to raise awareness of and reduce aircraft noiseWashington, D.C.--Today, Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington), Grace Meng (D-Flushing), Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) and Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) announced the creation of a Quiet Skies Caucus in Congress, which will raise awareness on the issue of aircraft noise and work to find meaningful solutions to the problem. The caucus consists of members from across the country whose constituents are adversely affected by incidents of airplane and helicopter noise.Rep. Israel said, “Too many of my constituents are dealing with an influx of aircraft noise that is negatively impacting their quality of life. While I’ve worked on a local level to solve this problem, I’m proud to join with Rep. Meng and colleagues from around the country whose constituents are facing a similar issue to create the Quiet Skies Caucus, which will work to find sensible solutions to this ongoing issue.”Rep. Meng said, “Rep. Meng said, “The blistering sounds of aircraft noise continue to have negative impacts on many residents of Queens. It is imperative that we continue to work on solutions to this problem, and raising it to the national level through this new caucus is a very sensible way to do that. It is critical for Members of Congress to come together on this issue so that we can share information, discuss ideas, and work with all stakeholders to alleviate the problem of airplane noise. I’m pleased to be a founding member of this caucus.”Rep. McCarthy said, “As a resident of Mineola, I, myself, can attest to the continuous noise from commercial airliners. I have heard from my constituents all over my district expressing their concern regarding the number of airplanes that fly over their homes, citing that the volume has increased in recent years. The Quiet Skies Caucus will hopefully find potential mitigation procedures to help alleviate aircraft sound levels. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue.”Rep. Crowley said, “Airports can never be perfect neighbors, but we can take steps to make them better neighbors. I'm proud to be a founding member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, which will give communities and their federal representatives here in New York and around the country an outlet for voicing concerns associated with airplane noise. The Quiet Skies Caucus will also provide a nationwide forum for advancing solutions, such as my Silent Skies Act, which would require airlines to begin stocking their fleets with newer, quieter aircraft. I look forward to working with my fellow caucus members to continue pressuring the Federal Aviation Administration, airport authorities and others to address the concerns of residents who are impacted by aircraft noise.”The following Members of Congress have joined the caucus:Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)Joe Crowley (D-NY)Henry Waxman (D-CA)Adam Schiff (D-CA)Anna Eshoo (D-CA)Mike Quigley (D-IL)Alan Grayson (D-FL)Keith Ellison (D-Minn)Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)Mike Capuano (D-MA)Katherine Clark (D-MA)

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